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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28749630">The Beginning of Something Unexpected</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/hermionemonica/pseuds/hermionemonica'>hermionemonica</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Avatar: The Last Airbender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Azula (mentioned) - Freeform, College AU, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Kataang (retconned), Modern AU, Sokka (mentioned) - Freeform, Suki (Mentioned) - Freeform, Zutara, aang (mentioned) - Freeform, toph (mentioned)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 07:22:10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,673</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28749630</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/hermionemonica/pseuds/hermionemonica</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The light from the hallway lit her from behind, so that her face was in darkness. Zuko squinted to make out her expression because he had no idea what was going on. <i>Why was Katara in his room at so late an hour?</i>  <br/>“Katara, what's-"   <br/>“Why did you come into my life, Zuko?”  </p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Katara/Zuko (Avatar)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>63</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Beginning of Something Unexpected</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/lalunaoscura/gifts">lalunaoscura</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Happy birthday, Luna! My first ATLA fanfic, for you!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Zuko sat up with a jolt as the door of his room slammed open. “What in the-" </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He stopped mid-sentence as he realised that in the doorway, stood the last person in the world he would have expected to. Although he could not see her face, he knew from her silhouette, her long dark tresses. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Why.” Katara whispered through clenched teeth.  </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The light from the hallway lit her from behind, so that her face was in darkness. Zuko squinted to make out her expression because he had no idea what was going on. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Why was Katara in his room at so late an hour? </span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Katara, what's-"  </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Why did you come into my life, Zuko?” </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>That was most certainly not what he was even remotely expecting to hear. However, her words did not hit him as hard as did the way she said it. The intensity and pain in her voice made a shiver run down his spine; he had never heard her like that. He tried to say something, but found himself unable to utter a single word. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I was okay,” Katara went on, slowly, but resolutely, walking towards Zuko's bed. “I had my life was in order. Everything was going alright, until that day you decided to barge in with your gorgeous smile and your pretty hair and your intense eyes. Even then I thought I would be okay. I thought you were just another good-looking guy. But oh boy, I had no idea.” </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>If Zuko was confused earlier, that was nothing compared to what he was feeling now. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Sokka had warned me about you. I was determined to stay away from you anyway, especially after how your sister and her friends cheated Suki out of the soccer team. I assumed you were just another of those snobby, rich assholes. Even after you managed to befriend all of my friends, I could not bring myself to trust you. But that day, after that accident...” Katara trailed off for a moment. “Why, Zuko, why?” It was difficult to miss how her voice cracked; and although he could not see her face clearly in the dark room, he could tell that she was crying. And knowing that made his heart clench painfully in his chest. Again, he tried to say something, anything, but the words would just not come out. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Silence fell between them, broken only occasionally by the heart-rending sound of Katara's sobs. Frustrated by his inability to utter words, Zuko felt that he could not stay still any longer. He had no idea why Katara was saying what she was saying, but he knew that he could not stand seeing her in anguish like that. He leapt out of his bed towards her. He hovered awkwardly for a few seconds, before advancing to enfold her in his arms. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>But Katara pushed him away with a shove right in his chest. “Don't touch me,” she hissed. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Zuko staggered a step backwards. Katara stood there for a moment, wiping at her face, before storming right past Zuko to plop onto his bed. She pulled her legs up to curl onto herself, and kept sobbing. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Zuko turned and sat down beside her. If she did not want to open up, that was okay. But he wanted her to know that he was there for her. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>After a while, Zuko felt her sobs quieten. He was unsure about whether he should ask anything. So he waited for her. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>A few minutes of silence passed before he heard Katara again. The faintest of whispers.  </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Why did you do that, Zuko?” </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Zuko knew what she was talking about. That day, when he had pushed Katara out of the way of the speeding car, and ended up getting hit himself. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>To be honest, he could not explain why he had done that. He had no definite answer. All he knew was that when he saw the car approaching towards her, everything else had vanished from his sight. All he could see was Katara, frozen in front of the car. And he did not think twice before jumping in to push her out of the way.  </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He had really not counted on getting hit by the car instead. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Zuko had never been that close to Katara. He had managed to break through Sokka’s prejudice and befriend him. Suki had forgiven him. Toph had never really disliked him in the first place. Even Aang had gradually warmed up to him. But he never could fathom Katara. No matter how much he tried, she would not talk to him. She would avoid him as though she did not want anything to do with her. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Sokka had told him that Katara visited him in the hospital every day when he was healing, but she would not enter the ward.</span>
  <em>
    <span> (Maybe except for that one night when he had woken up to a touch on his hand and had opened his eyes a slit to find her sitting at his bedside, her hand lightly caressing his, her eyes fixated on the bandages on his abdomen. But he had been too weak and delirious back then, so that might as well have been a dream.)  </span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  <span>When he had returned to the college, he had hoped things would be better between them. But he had been so wrong. Katara wouldn’t so much as look at him. She would run away whenever she noticed him approaching, and when she couldn’t do that, she would try her best not to meet his eye. More than once, he had caught her stealing glances at him, but she would promptly turn away as soon as he set his eyes on her. </span>
  <span>Tonight</span>
  <span> was actually the most she had talked to him, ever. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Why, Zuko?” Katara's voice brought him out of his thoughts. He turned to find her looking at him, her bloodshot, blue eyes twinkling with tears. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know,” Zuko replied in a little voice. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Katara sighed in exasperation. “You can’t just go around jumping in front of cars and say that you don’t know why!”  </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Zuko remained silent for a while. Then he spoke up. “Why were you crying earlier?” </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Now it was Katara's turn to be silent. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Zuko decided to trust his luck for once. “You can’t just barge into people's rooms in the middle of the night, crying and screaming, and not say why.” </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>To his immense relief and delight, that brought out a giggle from Katara. “I asked a question first,” she mumbled.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Zuko took a deep breath. “It doesn’t matter.” </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“It so does!” Katara almost shouted at him. “You don’t just go around throwing yourself in front of cars for random people!” </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“But you're not just some random person!” Zuko yelled back. “You are-"  </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He stopped abruptly in the middle of the sentence. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Go on?” Katara taunted. “I am?” </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Silence. And then, a shaky whisper. “You're- you're Katara.”  </span>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>But who am I to </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>you?,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he wished she would ask. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>But who am I to </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>you?,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she stopped herself from asking. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>When she turned away, Zuko spoke up again. “I asked you a question too.” </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Katara did not reply for a while. She just sat there, staring at her lap. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>A few seconds later, she spoke. “I broke up with Aang.” </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Zuko turned his head so fast that it was a wonder he didn’t get a crick in his neck. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“What? Why?” </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He didn’t know much about their relationship, but from whatever time he had spent with Aang, he knew that the boy was crazy about Katara. </span>
  <em>
    <span>And he wouldn’t even hurt a fly, there's no way he would hurt Katara, right? Them what happened? </span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Katara made a soft sound, which was somewhat between a sigh and a laugh.  </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Because of you, Zuko.” </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Okay, Katara needed to stop saying things like that and start explaining. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Zuko silently urged her to keep going. His heart was beating like a hundred elephants running together, but he managed to keep a calm expression. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I couldn’t do it to Aang. He has a beautiful and innocent heart, and he deserves better than someone like me. Someone who spends her nights thinking about another man. Someone who cannot stop thinking about the other man. Someone who is in lo-"  </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Katara stopped herself mid-sentence. With a sigh, she went on, “Of course, none of this matters unless you-” She hesitated.  </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Zuko felt a gentle touch on his hand as Katara's tiny hand slid into his. She intertwined their fingers together as she spoke, her voice barely a whisper. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Unless you tell me what I mean to you.” </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Zuko was stunned into silence. He couldn’t speak, he couldn't move. The cogs in his brain were running furiously, and his heart was beating like crazy, and was he even breathing? </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Please say something, Zuko.” </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Her words did something to her. Something that he couldn't explain. It was like a spark inside himself, and also like a wave that washed over him. And in that moment, he responded by leaning in and pressing his lips to hers. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Katara did not respond at first. Zuko thought that maybe he had gone too far, too soon. He slowly broke away from her. An apology had barely reached his lips, when Katara launched herself onto him. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she kissed him hungrily. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>This time, Zuko wasn’t one to hold back. He too poured all his longing, all his emotions into that one desperate kiss. As he wrapped his arms around her to pull her close, as he felt the warmth of her body against his, he realised how much he had actually wanted this.  </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>When they broke away, Zuko rested his forehead against hers. “I love you, Katara,” he whispered breathlessly. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I love you too, Zuko,” Katara spoke in a shaky whisper. He could hear how her voice broke. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Zuko lifted his hand to touch her face lightly. “I promise, we will figure everything out.” He spoke reassuringly, as she leaned her face into his hand. “And you won’t be alone in this.” </span>
</p>
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